Here at Russet Doodles our dams receive the best care possible during their pregnancies. They are well-prepared to bring their puppies into the world, with vet appointments, extra nutrition, supplements, etc. We introduce our dams into their whelping area when their due date approaches closer. During that time they receive daily gently strokes and maintenance care. During whelping our dams receive assistance as needed.

Once puppies are born into the world at Russet Doodles we begin ENS (early neurological stimulation) at 3 days old. This is performed on days 3-16, including gentle handling and daily weights. ENS is known to improve cardiovascular performance, stronger heartbeats, stronger adrenal glands, more tolerance to stress, and greater resistance to disease.

At 3 weeks we begin desensitizing our puppies to different sounds, sights, textures, things to climb on, run through and more. We also use handling exercises to ensure our puppies are exposed to various types of touch, handling and sensation. This includes eyes, nose, inside mouth, around collar, tummy, down back, pull tail, tug on ears, and tapping nails.